Nigerian elections, same-sex marriage

Elections in NigeriaResults today show the ruling People’s Democratic Party has won a landslide victory in Nigerian presidential elections, taking 24 million votes — about three times that of the runner-up. Despite the wide margin, the vote is being called flawed by some observers. Olympic champion Daniel Igali, an SFU graduate student, is in Nigeria working on the next phase of his school project. While the win was expected he says the landslide was not anticipated. He can comment on the country’s political climate. (Igali returns May 21 and will receive an honorary degree from Kwantlen University College before heading back to Nigeria.)

Same-sex marriage vs. civil unionControversy aside, support for same-sex marriage tends to increase when the label becomes 'civil union.' An SFU researcher has found that's due in part to a perceived threat to heterosexual identity when the term ‘marriage’ is used. Assistant psychology professor Michael Schmitt, an internationally known expert on social identity theory and responses to discrimination, will talk about his research as part of the final Psych in the City lecture series at SFU's Surrey campus on Wednesday, April 25 at 7 p.m.